Bird Flu Detected at Pierce County Poultry Facility in Washington
Bird flu has been detected at a commercial poultry facility in Pierce County, prompting quarantine and worker monitoring. Health officials say the risk to the public is very low, while farmers warn that an outbreak could add pressure to farms already facing rising costs and low margins.
Western Washington farmers brace after bird flu was detected at a commercial poultry facility in Pierce County, Washington, officials said Thursday. The facility is under quarantine, and eggs from infected birds will be destroyed rather than enter the food supply.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced the detection without identifying the facility. No human cases have been identified there.
Health agencies are monitoring workers who had contact with infected birds. Officials say the risk to the general public is “very low.”
“In the United States, there have not been any identified cases of person-to-person transmission of avian influenza,” Health Officer James Miller said.
Farmers say the detection could deepen pressure on family-owned operations already contending with rising labor and production costs and low margins. An outbreak that reaches other poultry or dairy farms can bring animal deaths, reduced milk and egg production, and higher costs.
“Far too many farms of all kinds here in Washington state stand on the brink, just one crisis, such as bird flu, away from ending up over the edge and having to shut down,” said Jason Vander Kooy, vice president of Save Family Farming.
Vander Kooy also owns two dairy farms in Mt. Vernon, with roughly 1,300 cows. Bird flu has not spread to dairy farms in Washington state, though an outbreak is affecting several dairy farms in Kittias and Yakima counties.
Washington lost 3,700 farms between 2017 and 2022, more than two farms per day, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture census data. Vander Kooy said the disease threatens animal health and worker safety, risks beyond farmers’ control.
“We can control the feed we give our cows, we can control the comfort of our cows,” he said. “But when something like bird flu comes by, it's a devastating hit.”
Chicken and eggs from other farms remain safe to eat, the Washington State Department of Agriculture said. Flock owners within 6 miles of the detection are in a surveillance zone and are encouraged to report flock health through the state’s online tool.
Owners who see sudden illness or multiple bird deaths can call the state’s Sick Bird Hotline at 800-606-3056.
